The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) has threatened legal action against the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over his reported comments on Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential ambition and political zoning.
The association’s president, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the group had given Umahi 72 hours to withdraw the remarks and apologise to Obi, Ebonyi indigenes and the wider Igbo community.
The threat followed a viral video in which Umahi reportedly discussed opposition to Obi’s presidential ambition under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the zoning of political offices in Ebonyi State.
According to the association, Umahi criticised some Ebonyi leaders who had publicly declared that they would not support Obi in the 2027 presidential election.
He was also reported to have questioned whether Obi appointed any Ebonyi indigene during his tenure as governor of Anambra State.
On zoning, Umahi reportedly said it was not the South-East’s turn to produce the president or Ebonyi South’s turn to produce the state governor.
He was also quoted as saying he intended to engage the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, to persuade him to step down in accordance with the zoning arrangement.
AEISCID condemned the reported remarks, arguing that zoning should not be used to discourage individuals from contesting elective positions.
The group recalled the 2015 governorship contest in Ebonyi, when Umahi pursued his own ambition despite the reported preference of the then governor, Martin Elechi, for Onyebuchi Chukwu, a former Minister of Health from Ebonyi South.
The association urged Odii to continue his campaign and present his policy proposals to voters, insisting that the electorate should decide the outcome of the 2027 governorship election.
It also called on President Bola Tinubu to caution members of his cabinet against making statements capable of heightening political tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
AEISCID said public officeholders should promote peace, unity and respect for differing political opinions, adding that disagreements should be resolved through democratic engagement rather than statements that could deepen divisions.
